BillysBride

Quote: Originally Posted by deznchris2006 Does the dress have optional spaghetti straps? That would take care of the "strapless" issue hehe In all honesty...I am a +++ size girl (with a small chest, horrible combination). One of the things I am MOST self conscious about, is the size of my arms. That being said, I have been in at least 5 wedding (Maid of Honor twice) and I have always had a strapless dress (even when I got to choose the dress). I finally came to the realization that my friends know what I look like and choose a specific dress for a reason, not to make me look bad or be self conscious. There was usually a matching shall that I could wear as a "cover up" or if I was cold. And when it comes down to it, most wedding party appropriate dresses are strapless. I went looking at wedding gowns two weeks ago and fell in love with one. My sister took pics of me in it. When I sent the link to my best friend she called me less than 5 minutes later and said "Strapless? really? Don't you have an arm issue?" Even my mom was like "we can get you a shall for it". And I told them both, that I have come to terms with my body. This is my size, you don't like it don't look! I probably will get a shall, but because I'm getting married in January, not as a cover up. Unfortunately this is a place your friend needs to get to on her own...all you can do is tell her that you love her, you know what she looks like and you think this dress would be great on her. It's only for one day, and you would never put her in something that looked bad on her. Afterall, you're the one that has to look at the pics Good luck!!!! Thank you so much for sharing your insight with me. This is what I've been trying to ....instill in her for years now. But you're right. Its something that every woman has to come to on her own as an individual. MANY women have body issues. Some are self conscious about their breasts, some their hips, arms, think their shoulder's are too broad, their ankles too skinny...whatever. Feeling overweight is one of the hardest to deal with, for certain. I just get frustrated because while I'm pointing out examples of famous plus size women who ROCK all sorts of outfits, she is whining about showing even the minimum amount of skin. Its something that we butt heads on frequently, so I'm not suprised its come up with this issue of BM's dresses. I want her to accept herself...embrace herself and her body and keep telling her that when she does that, it will have an impact on how other's perceive her as well. I can't count how many times I seen a big, beautiful woman who was confident and struttin' her stuff..doing her thang and thought "Now look at her wearing the hell out of that dress!" But the reality is, she's not there yet. I don't know if she ever will be, and I guess I'm trying to FORCE her to get there by wedding time. lol. Not going to work, so I need to adjust to the idea of having to be ok with her not liking the dress OR letting her wear something different. I have been to a few weddings where the MOH was in a slightly different dress denoting her "special" status, so I don't really have too big of a problem with her having something different. My preference would be that she have the same dress as I think it just plain looks nicer in photos. But if this is something that will increase her comfort level then I'm willing to let it slide. What I refuse to do is have her in any type of sleeves or a longer length. Thats the deal, she can take it or leave it. AND the dress must come from David's so that the color and fabrics match perfectly. Theres no bargaining room there, so if she doesn't like any of the other styles that come in this color and fabric, oh well. Morgan- ya...the other four girls LOVE the dress. As in can't-wait-to-rock-it love it. It was hard enough finding something that all four of them liked, so no way am I taking a step back and telling them we're changing it or they can pick a different one. She wants to be the oddball, she can go right ahead. The other dress I found is sort of similar, and even has a bit of hanging material in front like the one I picked originally, so I think it could work well.

Thanks ladies for all the encouragement and good advice. I'm going through the David's site right now trying to find a similar alternative (think I found one) that I can live with if she wants to wear. Its still sleeveless, but not strapless, so she could wear a regular type of bra with it. I'm going to offer this as an option and see if she accepts. If not, then I'm just going to push on and turn a deaf ear to her complaints.

Quote: Originally Posted by carly David's offers lots of different styles in the same colors, would it be an option to let her pick a dress that she is comfortable with in the same color? In a moment of frustration, this was my last suggestion to her. "Pick whatever you want that matches the color. I don't care." Not the most ...gracious offer, but I was frustrated and tired of arguing at the time. I actually came across an email from her, stating specifically what her problem is. Here's the quote: Quote: My biggest problem with strapless dresses is that they draw they eye emphasis -- from side to side making yourself look wider or more horizontal -- instead of taller and leaner and fierce. Umm...ok. So now, she's a fashionista. Honestly, if this is her biggest problem with it, the more I think about it the more I feel like she can suck it up and deal.

Quote: Originally Posted by MelissaH Being a bigger girl myself, I know that chiffon totally does not agree with me, it can be very clingy and show off a lot of bumps and lumps..maybe that's her concern? Melissa, she doesn't care about the material...at all. All she's talked about is the fact that its strapless. The dress is designed to be loose so it really should be fine if ordered large enough. Add to that a pair of Spanx or some shaping underwear ( a wedding parties' best friend) and she should be fine I think. One of my other maids is a 40DD and she has told me several times that she has found a quite a few strapless bra's that worked for her. She's even willing to help my MOH out with finding one. What would have made this girl happy is if I had chosen a full length long sleeved gown for them. Thats it. Thats the problem. She wants to cover up as much as possible. I refuse to do that to these girls in the late spring Mexico heat. Just can't.

Quote: Originally Posted by carly I think it's a beautiful dress. Being strapless though, it might not be that flattering on a bigger girl, or a bigger chested girl. Have you seen her try it on? Perhaps she is just uncomfortable in it. There is only so much you can do when someone is uncomfortable in their own skin. And this is the problem in a nutshell. She is uncomfortable in her own skin. She has a skewed image of herself and therefore, she covers up as much as possible. For instance, this is a girl who once told me that Beyonce` is fat. Seriously. I'm not joking. LOL. No wonder she thinks she's enormous if thats the type of judgement she has. Her main concern is "back fat and rolls hanging over the top" and finding a bra to support her chest. The dress is pretty straight across the top, so its not as if the bra would have to be a plunging strapless. Just a long line bra, and there are SEVERAL companies that manufacture them for large chests. DD's and up. I've offered several times to buy her a shawl...pashmina or even some beautiful organza shawls that would pick up on my accent colors, and all the girls could wear them. She doesn't even acknowledge the offer. I think the problem is what she (and some) consider to be "flattering". I've seen women with rounded shoulders.."fluffy" girls that looked beautiful in strapless dresses. I'm not one to think that the shoulders have to be showing clavicle bones to look nice in something, but I do understand her concern. I just feel like she's going over the top with it. The dress is meant to be LOOSE fitting..it skims the curves, not hugs. Its honestly the best I've found and the reviews for it seem to support what I'm thinking. She hasn't even tried it on yet, but I'm going to insist that she does sometime in the next few weeks. It needs to be done, and maybe that will prove something to her.

Aww. Brittney PLEASE don't feel bad. This is no failure on your part. In fact, you should consider it a point of pride that you choose your friends carefully and don't call just any old body a girlfriend. I'm the same way, and to be honest, it used to bother me too! But the older I get, the more I'm learning that its quality and not quantity. I've had some people bail on me and sort of stab me in the back....people I would have thought would be down for me through anything. Turns out, they weren't. Made me feel bad to realize I only had one truly good friend a couple years ago. Now, that circle is expanding, but I'm in my 30's and its taken all that time to get to this point. Again, don't feel bad and don't blame yourself for HER shortcomings. There's nothing wrong with being settled at 24, in fact ,I think thats the perfect age to slow the hell down and stop behaving like a full time party major. I feel sorry for the people I see going out every Friday night knowing they are the "oldest" people in the bar. hahahaha. Nothing wrong with going out, but its not a long term lifestyle and some people just don't get it til they are way older than they should be. You enjoy your family as your bridal party. I wouldn't give this chick another thought beyond telling her "Nevermind, sorry to have bothered you."

OK, someone PLEASE tell me why people think its ok to repeatedly bitch and moan about a dress, then follow it with "But girl, its your wedding...its all about what will make YOU happy."? Uh...what would make me happy is if you would stop bitching about this dress. How does anyone think that a bride can be happy looking at her wedding party on her big day KNOWING that one or more of them is miserable? A bit of background. My maid of honor is very, very body conscious. She's plus sized, but not any bigger than plenty of women I've seen on t.v. looking beautiful in far less than what I'm asking her to wear. Add to that, she's....well, I'm just gonna say it. Frumpy. If I could give the girl a makeover and dress her in just ONE damn outfit, I'd be ecstatic. She has it in her head that she can't or shouldn't wear certain things, and yes, I knew that going in. But she also knew that her style choices are an ongoing bone of contention for us, which we joke about all the time. She KNOWS me and knew going in that I would pick a dress that I loved AND think will look good on everyone. I'm not totally oblivious. I'm going with something that should be flattering for all the various shapes and sizes. I mean, its not like I want my wedding party to look all jacked up. Anyway, she sends me this email the other day, detailing all about how she thinks I had a certain style in mind from the beginning, and that I knew that whatever I had in my head would be something she would object to. HUH?? I scoured shops and the internet with NO particular style in mind, just looking for something that stood out as being good for all of them. Its a David's dress and all the feedback posts about it rave about how beautiful it looks on ANY figure. I'll post the link. Please, tell me is this some ugly thing that I'm forcing on this girl?David's Bridal - Bridesmaid F12284 Strapless chiffon short dress with ruched bust and asymmetrical hem. I know I'm not the first nor will I be the last bride to gripe about this. Just venting. She's the ONLY one of the girls who doesn't love it, and I have five total ranging from in shapes and sizes.

OK, girl you really need to just go into business for yourself. You could make a tidy little living off just the gals in this forum! Let me know if you are up to make more in a few months. I'm going to be needing them for my girls, and one of them has um....un-dainty feet (is that a nice way to say it?) so I need to have some custom made for her since I never see them above a size 10.

hahahaha...you guys are killin' me! I am SOOO not going to tell FH about no one looking at him. Or maybe I should. He's the shy type, so maybe he would feel more comfortable believing that. I'm more worried about the pics than anything else. I guess if I could find him a slightly off white shirt, then that might work. I keep hearing about how the colors always photograph differently than they look in person, so I'm trying to take that into consideration. Oh well. I just need to go into one of the shops around town and look at Diamond White at some point. It can't be that much different, can it? Geez. I was SO hoping this dress had an ivory option, but it doesn't. But because I'm set on getting it, I am revamping even my wedding colors. Good thing I started all this early.

LOL...you make an excellent point. I think the consultant is probably right....probably. hahaha. Ugh, I drive myself crazy.

For those of you who have worn or purchased a Maggie gown, can you you tell me if you noticed a real difference between with the Diamond White versus plain white you've seen on dresses? I'm trying to figure out if its worth it to get the Diamond White and try to match FI's shirt to it, or go with the plain white and not have to worry about it. Do you think there would be a huge difference in the photos if I wore Diamond White and he wore regular white or off white?

Oh, its beautiful and the color is WORKIN' on you!

Quote: Originally Posted by Philly_Bride I was going to get them from ebay. (The starfish ones.) Scroll all the way down for the starfish design) 35 Personalized Diamond Gift & Favor Tag Wedding Favors - eBay (item 130098953892 end time Apr-02-08 11:42:15 PDT) They’re 35 for $25 + $10S&H I don’t need 35, so I’ll keep on looking Oh, I like those! I don't need that many either, BUT you can always use them for other things with whatever is left over.

Wondering if anyone had their personalized with your logo? If so, where did you have it done? All of the sites I see only give the option of using pre-set designs/colors.

You'll love this place!

Oh, just wanted to say that Leggs (the panty hose people) now has a brand of these body shapers...knock off Spanx or whatever. lol.

Love them, and I agree...jade!

Julie, you da bomb. Thanks girl, this helps.

I love barefoot sandals. Planning to buy them for my bm's and also wear a pear myself if I can find/have made some with ivory faux pearls. I know Island Importer.com has them, and they aren't expensive there. I've seen them all over the net, prices ranging from $70 a pair to $25 a pair. They aren't hard to find at all.

Welllllll.....I found one! Sort of. hahaha I'm having this made (please cross your fingers for me). I found a pic, but oddly enough, don't know who the manufacturer is. Doesn't matter. Got some good recommendations for having a "designer knockoff" gown from the gals over at WeddingBells.com. Someone used one of the overseas manufacturers for hundreds less and was blown away when she got her dress. Says the beading and detail is exactly like the original, so I'm gonna take a leap of faith and use the same manufacturer to do this for me. The only thing different that I'm requesting is for a little bit of lace edging to peek out along the bust line. I think that always looks so pretty against the skin. Anyway, here it is. Its PERFECT..has the ribbon accent like I wanted, isn't too poofy and even the colors are perfect for my wedding (ivory, apple and gold accents). I know this is The One. Only dress I've seen that gave me that kick in the gut, ya know? I'm so excited. Ordering it tomorrow!!! What do y'all think?

Quote: Oh great! I got the rollers (actually they are in my head as I type), I got the Lotta Body, and ummmm... oven... but its human hair... you think it will start to smell? lol I will do a dry run when I get them before I leave. So should I roll my actual hair on my head too before I add the hair? And I have a question about this style... Is that a banana clip holding the hair like that? If you noticed, it pulled back but not in a full ponytail. LOL..no, it shouldn't smell. If it starts to, that means your oven is too hot or you've left it in too long. Shouldn't smell anything any worse than what you notice curling your hair with a hot iron. Remember, this isn't direct heat, its more surrounding the hair with hot air. The oven shouldn't even be as hot as your average curling iron. Oh, and I think the style is to wide to be a banana clip. I'd think that was over sized bobby pins keeping it in place. You know, the big ones? Looks to me like it would work with about six of those...three on each side.

Quote: Originally Posted by BarefootBride I ordered a set of clip ins today... I cant believe I did it! Here is the style I am going for... Oooh, I LOVE that! Totally doable, and I'll tell you a lil' trick you can use to get those curls! Sounds crazy, and you DO have to be careful with this, but it SOOOO works and doesn't take a whole lot of effort. I'm assuming you ordered straight hair, right? All you need is those medium to large plastic setting rollers...the plain ones you buy at most of the beauty shops. Get some Lotta Body (setting lotion) or almost any other kind really. Wash the hair (use clear shampoo..plain jane .99 cent stuff is fine) you don't want to use anything cloudy with conditioners because extension hair does not do well with it as it weighs it down too much and its harder to curl. Anyway, drench the hair in setting lotion while its still wet from the washing. Roll 1 1/2 inch sections ..depending on the length, you may want to "spiral" roll it...starting at one end of the roller and never overlapping will create that effect. now heres the part you're gonna freak about...but trust me, this works.... Turn your oven on warm..preheat it and make sure the burners at the bottom aren't glowing any more. Put the hair in (it can even go straight on the rack as long as its just warm and not too hot) and leave it in there, checking on it periodically every 10-15 minutes. When you take it out the set will be CRISP and all you have to do is finger comb it or get one of those REALLY large tooth combs and comb it through. That takes away the crispness, but the set remains...those curls will last pretty much through hell or high water. hahahaha. After you have the style in place on your big day (I suggest bringing the hair clips with the rollers still in them after drying along in a seperate bag or case) then spritz it lightly. Thats only after you've done your hair for the wedding. That adds an extra "shield" against the humidity, and make sure you use high humidity spritz..something that says its formulated to block the environment. Only thing you want to be sure of is that your clips are completely metal, no plastic. I'm sure you can see why. And keep watch on them because depending on the hair type, it can dry quickly and you don't want to burn it....not a nice smell in your house.

Been searching and can't find anything on any guitarists anyone may have used. Anyone?

Quote: Originally Posted by luv2love ooo...and this one is pretty too! An Affair to Remember Bridal Boutique - Maggie Sottero Style Suzanne Vidal Ooooh, now this one is perfect, if only it were more slim A-line. But I wonder if that can be reduced...its just tulle/crinoline, right? Its a Maggie, right? I wonder why I missed this before....hmm. It even has the scalloped edges on top like the two piece and the sparkles! Girl, you rock....thanks!

Quote: Originally Posted by luv2love Is this what you are looking for? http://img245.imageshack.us/img245/8379/a614iz7.jpg It's so pretty! But so is the two-piece you posted. Definitely close! I'll take this one into consideration. Whose the manufacturer? Twinkletoes- the pick up skirt just kills it for me. I'm not much into those.